Udine - Loggia del Lionello

Udine is the historical capital of Friuli. Based on an old legend, Attila the leader of the Huns, had his winter quarters here, when besieging nearby Aquileia.

In 983 Udine was mentioned, when Empereor Otto II donated a castle to the Patriarchs of Aquileia. When Berthold V. von Andechs (1180-1251), brother of French queen consort Agnes of Merania, Hungarian queen consort Gertrude of Merania and Saint Hedwig of Silesia in 1238 became Patriarch of Aquileia, he moved the capital of the ecclesiastical state from Cividale to Udine.

In 1420 Udine was conquered by the Republic of Venice. It remained under Venetian control until 1797, being the second largest city in the state.

For a short while it was French. After the Congress of Vienna it became part of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia (- Austria) - and was included in the newly formed Kingdom of Italy in 1866.

The Loggia del Lionello, placed on Udine´s principal square (Piazza della Libertà), is the town hall. It was built in 1448–1457 in the Venetian-Gothic style. After a fire it got rebuilt in 1876.